Blessing
by lilynx
Summary: COMPLETE! This is a modern Cinderella story. My story is about a girl named Addy, who has no wicked step sisters, no fairy godmother, just a wicked family. Will her prince be able to save her? Some language, violence. Please, please, pleeease REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**Blessing**

Addy sat by herself, crying. She didn't know what else to do. It felt as if every day of her life just got worse. Her father's alcoholism was getting worse, her mother was becoming so scared that soon she would be frightened of her own shadow.

She didn't know what made the rivers of red so comforting, just that it was something she could control.

"Addy, getyourbutinhere…," she heard her father slur.

Sighing, she rolled her sleeves back down and made her way to the kitchen. With the dim lights and her depression bogging her down, she didn't register her dad was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until she felt a sharp pain in her head that she realized anything was wrong.

"What took you do long? Did you think that maybe if you took long enough you'd find me passed out drunk on the floor and you could escape?" He tugged his fistful of her hair even harder.

"No, Dad, that wasn't it. I didn't think-"

"Well, I'll give you something to think about!" he roared, and punched her.

She fell to the floor, her cheek throbbing. She knew that maybe if she stayed down, he would just leave her alone. Through a haze of pain, she heard him scream, "What do you think you're doing? I know you're faking it. You bitch! Stand up!"

Addy felt when her dad threw the bottle at her, felt as the glass broken into shards and shredded her skin, felt her dad kick her in the ribs, still screaming at her to get up, and then she felt no more as she slid into welcoming darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

With a groan, Addy woke up. Looking around, she noticed it was dark outside. _How long have I been lying here? _she wondered.

Moving quietly, she got up and started walking back to her room. Her whole body was aching, but her face and ribs hurt the most. Reaching her bedroom, she quickly shut the door and turned on the lights. Slowing making her way over to the dresser, she looked at herself in the mirror.

She saw herself, her plain, old, regular, boring self, staring back at her. Her oval-shaped face, her ice-blue eyes, windows to her frozen soul, her messy hair, falling past her modestly filled out chest to the soft curves that made up her thighs. There was a bruise beginning to form on her right cheek where her dad had hit her, though thankfully none of the glass shards had reached her face.

Wincing slightly from the pain, she took off her shirt to see the damage he had done to her side. Looking closely, she could see no mark, although she knew from experience that it didn't mean it wouldn't pain her tomorrow.

Slipping out of her clothes and into pajamas, she shook her head. _At least I won't have to think up a lie to tell my dad about the cuts. _

Addy lay in her bed, thinking about what tomorrow would be like. She looked around at her threadbare room that she knew so well. The old mahogany dresser, the off-white lamp, the tan carpet, and the baby blue walls reminded her of happier times when she was a child, before her dad drank and ruled his house with an iron, drunken fist.

Turning restlessly, she prayed that something good would happen to her tomorrow, her first day as a sophomore at Pines Grove High. _Well, _she thought, finally slipping away to sleep_, whatever happens will be better than today. _

--------

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

With a exhausted grumble, Addy turned over and hit the Off button on her alarm clock. _Not yet. I'm not ready for this._

Dragging herself to the shower, she turned the water on, making it as hot as possible. She flinched when the steaming water hit her cuts, and she looked down remembering. Quickly shaking herself of the memory, she got out and toweled herself off, wandering over to pick something to wear.

After ten minutes of debating against this pair of jeans and arguing with herself about why she should wear this shirt, she ended up with a forest green turtle neck and a dark-tinted jean. Throwing her sneakers on quickly, she grabbed her backpack, already packed yesterday, and headed out to catch the bus.

Grabbing a seat in the back, she dug in her backpack for a book to read and finding it, stuck her nose into Blood and Chocolate. She was so engrossed by Vivian and Adrian, that she barely noticed when the bus arrived at school. Stumbling off the bus, she ran to her first class, desperately hoping she would make it on time.

Plopping into her seat as the late bell rang, she glanced around, hoping she wouldn't know anyone in her class. Looking around, she found she didn't.

"Alright class, welcome to your first class as sophomores. My name is Mrs. Rossi. I have some information packets I would like to hand out to you. We'll go over them today, and I'll have you bring them back tomorrow with your parent's signature. Now then, who would like to read?" One kid in the front raised his hand, labeling him forever as a teacher's pet. "Yes, you?"

"Mrs. Rossi's English 2 Class, Year Long….," As the kid droned on, Addy tuned out, thinking about later today and what she could do to stay away from her home. She could go and hang out at the mall, but then she might run into someone she knew and have to interact. She could go to Starbuck's, but that ran the same risk. Maybe taking a walk around a nice, abandoned park…

_Riiiiiiiing!_

"Well, Class, that's it for today. Make sure you bring back your forms with a parent's signature tomorrow!" Mrs. Rossi yelled at the class as they stampeded to get to the hallway and to their next class.

Addy didn't even wait for the teacher to finish her sentence, she was already out the door and looking at her schedule for her next class. _Hmmm. Mr. Johnson for Chemistry. Isn't he the one who looks like a pig?_

She walked into class and looked around for an empty table. All the tables looked alike with black, shiny tops, a sink to wash beakers, and two chairs. She found an empty table and sat down. Trying to drown out the chattering of the two skinny blondes next to her, Addy dug around in her backpack for a notebook and pencil.

She was just pulling out a pencil from the bottom of her backpack when she heard, "Uhh, hi. Is this seat taken?"


	3. Chapter 3

Addy looked up in surprise, and saw a geeky-looking boy with jet-black curly hair and glasses framing his vibrant green eyes. "Umm, no. Go ahead."

With a smile the boy sat down, slinging his backpack on the ground. "My name's Alec. What's yours?"

"Addy," she whispered, not making eye contact. She just wanted to get through this class and on to the next one.

"Addy, that's a nice name. Hey, do you think you could show me around? I'm kinda new here."

Addy nodded her head, not really listening, tugging on her sleeves. Even after the bell rang, he continued talking, unaware that she was tuning him out. _Where's the teacher? He's late, and the later he is, the longer this boy's gonna talk to me. Can't he take a hint? I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to talk to anybody._

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Chemistry!" With relief, Addy saw Mr. Johnson enter the classroom, buried under a mountain of papers and wheezing with every breath. The rumors were right; he did look like a pig, just a really tall one walking on two legs.

"Now, here are some papers I need your parents to sign, so if you would take one and pass the rest back…"

"Jeez, doesn't he look like a pig?" With a jolt, Addy remembered the boy sitting next to her. _It's like he was reading my mind. What's his name again? Oh, yeah. Alec._

"Well, I just hope he doesn't smell like one," she responded. When he chuckled, she was surprised. ­_Did I just say that out loud?_

"Or eat like one." Addy laughed, in spite of herself. Blushing, she looked back down at her desk. "Hey, did I offend you or something? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. My mom says I'm always putting my foot in my mouth and making everybody else uncomfortable, but I never seem to be able to stop my

myself-"

"It's okay. You didn't do anything." Addy didn't know why, but when she saw Alec stumbling over his words like a shy little boy, she had the strange urge to comfort him. _What am I doing? I thought I was just going to go through the day without talking to anyone. Well, good job Addy. You sure failed that test._

Throughout the rest of the class, the two talked. They talked about nothing important, like music, their favorite restaurants, and good books. At the end of the hour, the bell rang to go to their next class, and the two parted, going their separate ways.

Hmmm. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. I mean, I've never felt so comfortable talking to a boy. And he didn't ask about my cheek, thank God. I wonder if I have any other classes with him.

And so the rest of her day went, class after class. Finally, she reached her last class, Geometry. As she walked into class, she glanced around the room, searching to see if Alec was there. To her surprise, he was. Sitting in the back of the room, waving his hand at her in that awkward 'I know that girl, but I'm not sure if she'll remember me' way, he made her feel warm inside, like she used to be before her father started to drink and her life turned upside down. She headed over to him, a smile unwillingly lighting up her face.

"Hey, Alec. You're in this class, too?"

"Yeah, isn't it great? Now I'll know someone in at least two of my classes."

She sat down and got out her notebook. She was turning to a clean page when she heard him ask, "Hey, I forgot to ask you in Chemistry. What happened to your cheek? It looks like you got in a fight."

Addy looked up at him like a deer caught in the headlights. "My, my cheek? Nothing, nothing happened. I just tripped yesterday in the kitchen and caught the corner of the table. That's all." _No, no, NO!_ she thought. _Oh, I thought this guy was perfect. He was my Prince Charming. Prince Charmings do not bring up the fact that you looked like you were boxing. _

"Are you sure?" Alec asked. "Cause it looks like you were punched-"

"All right class. Let's get down to business. As you can see from the board, my name is Mrs. Abrahm. To give a fair warning, I will have no class clowns, although anyone who would like to try will get to know the principal very well. Now, get out your notebooks and copy down this problem…."

Relieved that her teacher seemed a strict, no-talking kind of person, Addy turned towards the front the classroom, letting her hair fall to cover her face. She copied the problem and started working, ignoring Alec's attempts to keep up their conversation and his concerned glances._ I guess I can't talk to him anymore. My dad would kill me if I ever told someone what really happened._ Sighing, she kept ignoring him until the bell rang, signaling the end of class and her freedom. Grabbing her stuff, she rushed out of the room, without saying goodbye and without looking back.

_Please, God. If you care about me at all, let me make it home without seeing him again. _With that quick prayer uttered, she rushed onto the bus and back to her home, where her father waited for her.


	4. Chapter 4

Addy let herself into her house, glancing around to check for her father. Seeing no sign of him, she tiptoed to her room. Heaving a sigh, she slung her backpack down and stared at her room. It was a typical teenage pigsty. _I better clean __this __up before my dad finds this mess._ Lately, it seemed as if everything set him off into a rage.

She began picking up the piles of dirty clothes littering her floor like the scattered leaves out on her lawn. Mind drifting, she found herself humming the tune "Ten Minutes Ago" from Cinderella. As her humming continued, she began to think of Alec, the boy in her Chemistry and Geometry class. _I wish I could tell him what was going on. Then maybe he wouldn't think I'm such a freak, talking to him one minute, __then__ ignoring him the next._

Tears began to course down her cheeks, and she dropped her things and went to search in the bottom drawer of her dresser. "Where is it? Where is it? I know I put it here somewhere. Ah-ha! Found it," she mumbled to herself. Walking to her bedroom door, she locked it, insuring her much-needed privacy.

Addy sat on her bed and set the to the razor to her skin. The tears came harder, but she hardly noticed. At least she was in control of this. She decided how deep the cuts were, and how many there would be. She didn't even have to worry about coming up with an excuse, they blended right in with the cuts from yesterday.

_This is so much easier than dealing with my life. Maybe, if I just keep doing this, and __if __I go deep enough I'll-_

"ADDY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE! Unlock this door right now young lady, or I'll break it down!"

With a sigh, Addy hid the razor under her mattress and covered her wounds. "Coming Dad," she called, and made her way to the door.

As soon as she undid the lock, it was like an unstoppable storm. Her door burst open, banging against the wall and coming back. Addy tried to get out of the way, but the door hit her full on, causing her to fall on the floor. Just as she was scrambling to get back up, she felt her father's foot on her wrist, trapping her.

"Where were you, you slut? Did you try to run away, but found you're too stupid to get anywhere on your own? Did you think your mother and I wouldn't notice you were gone? Well? I asked you a question, young lady!"

Addy fought through the pain in her arm to answer, "I went to school, Dad. Today was my first day of school." As she bit back a scream of pain, she felt the pressure on her wrist lessen.

"You didn't tell anybody what happened, right? You know no one would ever believe you. They would just think you're a stupid little girl who was making up stories. No one would believe you over me." The words came out rushed, and a little frantic, like he was trying to convince himself of the facts.

"I know Dad, I know. I didn't tell anybody." Cautiously, Addy sat up, cradling her wrist against her body, trying not to bump the bruised and swollen appendage.

"Well, that's good. Your mother is going to go to the grocery store and wants you to go with her. Heaven knows why, you're such a bother to have around. Just get ready and get in the car."

Standing up and keeping her eyes on the floor, Addy inched her way past her dad and out to the car, where her mother was already waiting with the car idling. She got in and slid her seatbelt on using one hand. Her mother looked over and softly said, "We'll get you a bandage to wrap that in at the store," then kept silent for the rest of the ride. Addy, too occupied with keeping the tears at bay, didn't answer and looked straight ahead.

They reached Farmer's Grocer and walked inside with a cart. Addy followed her mother around while she loaded the cart with items from the list, crossing off each item when she put it in the cart. When the list was completed, they walked up to the cash register and paid.

In the parking lot, while putting the bags of groceries in the trunk, Addy's mother took the Ace bandage out of the bag and handed it to her. While her mother finished loading the car, Addy sat down in the passenger seat and quickly wrapped her wrist.

On the ride home, Addy's mother started to say something, perhaps thinking to comfort her daughter, but Addy cut her off. "Don't worry about it, Mom. At least it's my left wrist, so I can still write." She didn't want to hear what pathetic excuse she would come up with this time.

Nodding her head, Addy's mother pulled up into their driveway, and the two women took the groceries into the kitchen.

"If you don't mind, Mom, I'm just going to go to bed. I'm kind of tired."

Nodding her consent, her mother started to make dinner. Addy put some ice in a bag, slipped into her room, and let the coolness of the ice on her wrist melt away the pain until she fell asleep.

----------

The next day, Addy felt even worse. The bruise on her cheek was darker, her ribs made it so she could barely stand up straight, and the ice had done nothing from keeping her wrist from swelling. She wandered through school like a wraith, sitting on the opposite side of the room from Alec during Chemistry, and keeping her face hidden.

As the day wore on, the pain got worse, till she reached her breaking point. After lunch, she ditched Geometry and went to the parking lot, on her own for a precious hour. Finally alone, she let her guard down, letting the tears pour down her face.

She was so miserable, she didn't notice the sound of a person running up to her. At least, that is, until she heard him say, "Addy! What's wrong? Are you alright?"


	5. Chapter 5

Startled out of her misery, Addy looked up to see Alec rushing over to her. Just the sight of him, so concerned about her when she had acted so meanly to him, made her burst into a fresh round of tears.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry even more. Is there anything I can do?" Alec sat down on the parking lot asphalt next to her and hugged her, cradling her head on his shoulders, just letting her cry her fill.

"I'm – sorry – I – don't – usually – act – like – this," Addy said, her apology punctuated by sobs.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I don't mind. Does this have anything to do with the bruise on your cheek or your wrist being wrapped up?"

She almost didn't tell him, almost pushed him away to tell him to mind his own business. But she didn't. She just couldn't take all that was happening alone anymore. With a fresh wail of sorrow, she told him everything – her dad's uncontrollable drinking, his frequent rages, how he would beat her then threaten to hurt her worse if she ever told, how her mom was too scared to do anything, everything except that she was responsible for some of the cuts on her arms. Addy still didn't trust anyone enough to tell them that secret.

Throughout it all, Alec just sat there quietly, rocking her gently as if to comfort her like he would a small child. Finally, when her energy was spent, he spoke. "That bastard. How dare he do something like that to you? What right does he have to treat you so poorly? That bastard. I'm going march right up to him and-"

"No! Please don't! You'll just make things worse. Promise me you won't confront him about this. Promise me!" She didn't like the coldness in his eyes when Alec thought about confronting her dad, the malice dripping from his voice when he talked about her father. Surely he didn't mean what he said about confronting her dad. Her dad would beat Alec to a bloody pulp if he didn't kill him instead. She just couldn't let that happen.

"Alright. If you're that worried about it, I won't do anything. Yet. But Addy, I swear, if he keeps hurting you like this I won't be able to stand by quietly and watch it happen. I'll do something."

Relieved beyond words, she slumped against him, happy to just be with him for this moment. They sat like that, for what seemed like forever, before Addy remembered the real world. Reluctantly, she pulled away. "I have to go. The buses will be here soon, and my dad will suspect something if I'm late. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Ya, sure. But Addy, before you go, can I ask you something?" Alec asked. For some reason, he suddenly seemed shy and flustered.

"You can ask me anything, Alec. What is it?"

"Ok but before I do." Alec took a good look into Addy's eyes and gently touched his lips to hers, holding her soft, delicate face in his hands, they exchanged their feelings for each other in one soft, sweet kiss.

After a few seconds that seemed to go by too fast to Addy, he leaned back and looked straight at her eyes. In a soft and gentle voice he said, "Addy, will you go to Home Coming with me?"

Addy was beyond words. She didn't know what to say. This boy, who had just given her her first kiss, was asking her to Home Coming? With a smile spreading across her face, Addy answered, "Of course, Alec. I wouldn't dream of saying no."

With a blush rising on his face, Alec beamed up at her. "Great. Do you want me to take you dress shopping on Saturday? It'll give you time away from your parents, and they're going to announce the theme for the dance this Friday. Then we can work on our outfits."

Addy felt light-headed. Was this really happening? Was the guy of her dreams asking her to go to Home Coming with him and offering to take her shopping and she wasn't hallucinating or having a dream? Overflowing with happiness, she threw her arms around him, but backed off when she felt her wrist throbbing. _Well, this must be real then. You can't feel pain when you're dreaming._ "Sure. I'd love that," she replied.

With a shy smile and a glance over her shoulder, Addy made her way to the bus. _Huh. Who would have thought this day would actually turn out to be good?_


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of Addy's week flew by. Every morning, Alec would meet her at school after she got off the bus. Her father was busy with interviews for a new job, so he had barely seen her since Tuesday, let alone touch her. _My life's finally getting better. It's all because of Alec. I don't know what I would do without him._

She was in English Friday morning, thinking about how much Alec was like her Prince Charming, when the announcement came over the intercom. "Attention please. Your attention, please. This is your principal speaking, letting everyone know that the theme of this year's Home Coming has been decided. This theme is … 'The Clock Struck Midnight'!"

Immediately, the class was buzzing with conversations about what to wear, who to invite, and (at least for the girls) how they would never lose enough weight to fit into the dress they had already picked out.

Addy was lost in her own thoughts, pictures of her and Alec arriving at the dance together filling her head. _Hmmm, 'The Clock Struck Midnight.' What can we do with that? _Suddenly, the idea hit her. They could come as Cinderella and Prince Charming! _Oh, it's perfect! Then he really will be my prince. I can't wait to tell him. _

The rest of the period seemed to drag on forever, but the bell finally rang. Addy jumped up out of her seat, and rushed to Chemistry.

Sitting down at their table, Addy waited for Alec to come, bouncing like a child on a sugar high forced to sit still.

He came, his crooked smile on his face, his eyes warming when they found her sitting waiting for him. "Hey," he said. "It's good to see you. You seem happy. What's up?"

Barely waiting for him to finish, Addy told him the outline of her thoughts last period. "I was thinking that for the dance, maybe, we could go as Cinderella and Prince Charming." It all came out in a rush, and when he didn't immediately answer, she thought that he hadn't understood her. Just when she was about to repeat herself, he spoke.

"Sure, Addy, that sounds like a great idea. Tomorrow, we'll find you a blue dress to go with your amazing eyes. You'll be the prettiest girl in the school." The warmth in his voice told her that his comment wasn't a joke.

"Really?" she asked, a blush coming to her face. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Of course, Addy. You're beautiful. Don't ever doubt that."

"Thank you." Addy put her eyes on the table and looked down, embarrassed that he would say something like that. Seeing her embarrassment, Alec didn't say anything else, just sat there for the rest of the period, holding her hand under the table.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Addy got up early before her father woke up. Going through her wardrobe, she decided on jeans, a bright green t-shirt to go with Alec's eyes, and a tan sweater to cover the still healing cuts on her arms.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she pulled a brush through her hair, making an effort to look presentable. Finally satisfied with her appearance, Addy grabbed her purse, wallet, and keys, and quietly let herself out of her room.

Tiptoeing, so as not to wake anyone up, she gave a start when she realized there was a person already awake in the kitchen. "Oh, Mom, you scared me. I thought you were, well, uhh…"

"I'm sorry, honey," her mom answered. "Try to be quiet so you won't wake up your father." With those words of wisdom, Addy's mother went back to the sink to clean the dirty dishes.

Addy was about to leave, when an idea struck her. "Hey, Mom, would it be okay if I went shopping today?" she asked, knowing her mother would be delighted to see she was doing something on the weekend.

"Sure, baby. Do you need any money?"

"Um, yeah. I was wondering if you could loan me some, maybe?"

"Go ahead and take one of the credit cards. Just make sure not to max it out." With a weak smile, Addy's mother tried to get her to laugh along at the weak joke, both of them knowing Addy would never do that.

Not daring to believe in her good luck until she left the house, Addy forced a laugh and said, "Okay, Mom. I'll try." Grabbing the card, Addy hurried outside to wait for Alec. _I wish he would hurry up. I don't want my dad to wake up and ask what I'm doing._

As if he could read her thoughts, Alec's car appeared from the around the corner. He pulled up into her driveway, leaning out of the window with a slight smile on his face. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Addy said, climbing into the passenger seat. "So… is this your minivan?" 

"No, its my mom's. I had to practically beg her to let me use it because there was no way my dad would have let me drive his BMW. It's his baby," he told her with an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh." _Great conversation skills, genius. Soon, he's gonna think he's friends with an idiot. Well, more than friends._ With a smile, Addy remembered the kiss he gave her earlier this week. _I wonder if he'll kiss me again._

"Hey, uh, Addy?" Alec interrupted her conversation with herself.

Startled, Addy's voice came out high and squeaky. "Yeah?"

"Umm, we're here. Do you want to go in?"

"Oh, yeah. Let's get started. I can't wait." With a laugh that was partly to relieve the tension and partly at herself, Addy got out of the car. Looking around, she realized Alec had driven them to the mall while she was berating herself in her mind. Gazing up at Alec, she asked, "Where do you want to go?"

Alec looked surprised. "Well, I don't really know. I was kind of hoping you knew where to shop for dresses."

Embarrassed, Addy looked at her sneaker-covered feet. "Well, not really, but I guess we could look around until we find a store."

"Okay. No problem. Follow me." Slipping his hand into hers, Alec led the way into the mall. Addy's nose was bombarded by the smell of greasy foods and microwaved Chinese food when they walked in, entering through the food court. "Come on, I think I remember a store my mom dragged me to," Alec said.

Walking next to him, Addy felt happy and content with her life for the first time in a long time. _It's because of _him_. He's the one who makes me feel this way._ With her sudden realization, Addy didn't notice they had stopped walking until he pulled on her arm. "What do you think?"

Not understanding the seemingly random question, Addy looked up at Alec, a question on her face. With the patience of a saint, Alec put a hand under her chin and turned her head towards something. At first, Addy wasn't sure what he was showing her, until her eyes focused on the most beautiful blue dress she had ever seen.

"Oh, Alec! It's perfect!" The dress was light blue, almost the exact same shade as her eyes. It was a halter, backless gown, the lines of the bodice clean and simple, flaring into an extravagant skirt. The skirt was made up of yards and yards of frothy cloth, silk, and lace. The cloth was the same as the bodice, clean and simple, but with starburst of silk sewn on, the silk just dark enough to be noticed. On top of all of that were layers of pale blue lace, until the dress looked like a ball gown, rather than a modern dress.

Thinking back to her Cinderella and Prince Charming idea, Addy realized it was exactly what she was looking for – a modern Cinderella dress. In reverence, she walked over to it, picking up price tag. What she saw there drained all the joy from her face.

$110! _How am I going to pay for that? I don't have the money. _With a jolt, Addy remembered the credit card her mother had let her borrow. _Maybe, just maybe I'll use that. But is it worth it?_

Looking back at the dress, and thinking of how beautiful she would finally look, she made up her mind. _Yes, it's definitely worth it. _

Taking the dress, she called back over her shoulder, "I'll be right back, Alec. I'm just going to try on the dress!"

With an amused shake of his head, Alec sat down outside the dressing room, waiting for his princess.

Addy carefully unzipped the dress and stepped into it, cautious not to step on the fabric and rip it. Once she had it on, she turned around looking for a mirror, but couldn't find one. _Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to ask Alec what he thinks. _

Without a second thought, Addy headed out of the dressing room, ready to show off her transformation to Alec. She stepped out of the room expecting a reaction, and got one, although not the one she expected.

"Addy! What happened to your arms?!?"


	8. Chapter 8

_Shit._ Looking down at her arms, Addy realized she had forgotten to put her jacket back on in her haste to show Alec the dress. _Well, it's all over now. He'll think I'm a freak and leave me. I guess love just isn't for me._

Alec ran over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Addy, what is this? Did your father do this? Because if he did, I swear I'll-"

"NO," Addy interrupted. "No. He didn't do this. Well, not all of this." _I might as well tell him. If I don't, he'll go after dad, and there's no way Alec could beat him. _She braced herself with a deep breath. "Alec, I-"

"Is something wrong, Miss? I thought I heard someone yelling." With the best of timing, at least in Addy's opinion, the sales woman stopped Addy mid-sentence.

"N-n-no! Um, everything's fine. I-I just tripped!" Addy called back. She looked at Alec, the jut of his chin telling her he wasn't going to let this go. With a sigh, she headed back towards the dressing room. "I'll tell you later, Alec. I promise. Let's just finish shopping first."

Just before she closed the door, Alec grabbed her arm. Looking into her eyes, he seemed to be making sure she would keep her promise. What he saw there, her utter despair, the broken spirit of a once-loved girl, kept him quiet and he let her go.

Addy changed quickly, not wanting to stay in the store anymore. Quickly, she took the dress to the register and paid for it, no longer worried about the price. She was more worried about what Alec would do when she told him about her cutting.

They made their way to a tuxedo store and rented one for Alec. Looking at him while he tried on tuxedoes, Addy felt herself fall for him all over again. It was going to be hard to tell him the truth and then watch him avoid her at school.

Alec paid for the tuxedo, and they left, heading towards the parking lot. Setting their clothes in the back, they got in the car. Addy waited for Alec to start the car and take her home, but nothing happened. Turning to ask him what was going on, she saw Alec sitting there, looking at her, waiting for the explanation she had promised.

_I might as well get it over with, _Addy thought. _Drawing it out won't make this any better. _It all came out in a rush. "Alec, most of these cuts aren't from my dad. They're from me. I did this to myself. It was the only thing in my life that I knew I could control. Anytime my dad beat me, I would go into my room and doing this would make me feel better. Please, try to understand. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I thought that if you knew, you would think I'm a freak and leave me, but now I see that you'll do that anyways. I'm sorry, Alec. I'm really, really sorry."

Addy waited for him to talk, to start the car and drop her off at home for the last time, but he didn't do either. He just sat there, staring straight ahead.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"Why?" Addy said. "Why? Alec, I just told you why. It brought me comfort when nothing else did. Do you even care? Were you even listening?" Addy turned to face Alec, and was struck by the expression on his face. He looked hurt.

"Why do you still cut yourself?" Alec asked, his voice low and rough. "Aren't you happy when you're with me? Do you care about me at all?"

"No, Alec. It isn't like that." Addy stammered. "It's just that you can't be there for me all the time, and my dad's always there. It's just something I do to keep from going crazy. Please, Alec. You have to believe me. This has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing … to do … with me." Alec's voice seemed dead, but his emotions soon showed through his voice. "Nothing to do with me? Addy, how can you say that? How can you say that the girl I love hurting herself has nothing to do with me?"

"Love?" Addy whispered. This seemed too good to be true and she was afraid that saying the words out loud would make it go away. "Did you just say the girl you love?"

Alec looked at Addy, and saw a glimpse of the girl he had seen crying in the parking lot, the girl who everyone ignored. He saw how fragile she was, how he would break her spirit if he didn't tell her the truth.

"Yes, Addy. The girl I love. Can't you tell I'm crazy about you? Just the thought of you hurting yourself leaves me feeling helpless, like I can try, but I'll never be good enough to help you."

"Oh, Alec. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't think you'd ever find out."

"You didn't think I would find out? What would happen if you went to deep, Addy? If you died, Addy, I don't know what I would do. You're my world."

Addy started to cry. "I'm sorry, Alec. I really am. Please, don't hate me. I'm really sorry."

Leaning across the car, Alec drew Addy into his arms and let her lean against him. "I could never hate you, Addy. Never. Just promise me you'll stop doing this."

"I promise Alec. I promise." Her voice was muffled against his shirt as Addy cried on his shoulder, baring her soul to the boy she loved.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a really hard time with this chapter. Please review and tell me how I did. Even if nothing you say is a compliment.


	9. Chapter 9

Addy sat on her bed Thursday night, reliving the best moment of her life over and over. _**"Yes, Addy. The girl I love." **__I can't believe he said that. It's like my life has turned into a fairy tale. _

It had been almost a week since Alec had said he loved her, and she still couldn't quite believe it. A boy like that just doesn't fall in love with a girl like her. With a sigh, Addy lay down on her bed and looked at the clock. 11:02. _Almost midnight. Just an hour more, and it'll be the day I go to Home Coming with Alec. _

"Addy!" Three bangs on her door interrupted her thoughts. "Addy, get out here right NOW! I want to talk to you, young lady!"

Addy got up and unlocked her bedroom door. Outside stood her dad, weaving on his feet, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand. "Dad, is something wrong? Do you want to go outside?" Like prey that knows it's being hunted, Addy tried to lure her dad into a trap. _He can't hit me if we're outside. That's all I have to do, just get him outside, and I'll be fine._

"I'm on to you, you bitch." Addy's dad spit out. "You think I don't know everything that goes on in this house?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dad," Addy said, confused. "I haven't done anything."

Slowly, her father's face turned red. With an effort, he drew himself up to his full height, trying to look imposing. "Won't tell me the truth, huh? You're lying, just like your mother. Well, I knew it would happen eventually. I guess I'll just have to tell you what you've done."

"Dad, you're not making any sense. I really don't know what you're talking about. Wouldn't you rather be outside? It's a lot cooler." _Oh no, oh no, oh no. There's no way I'll get him outside. He's too drunk. If only he wasn't blocking the door, I'd try to run. But it's no use. I might as well try begging my way out of a beating. _

"Dad, please, just tell me what I did and I'll try to make it up to you. I'll do anyth-" Addy's sentence was cut short as her body hit the door, her cheek stinging.

"Isn't that just like you. Willing to anything so you won't get what you deserve. Well, I'll tell you, it won't work on me. I won't be fooled by your scheming mind." With a lunge, Addy's father grabbed her wrist and dragged her to him.

"I guess you won't be going with that boy to the dance anymore. You'll be too busy recovering from tonight." Addy could smell the alcohol on his breath, as he whispered his threat near her face. He let go of her, and she dropped to the floor. _How did he find out about Alec? Please, God, anyone. Don't let him hurt me anymore. Just let him think I've already passed out. _

With her eyes closed, Addy didn't see her father step back, didn't see the bottle when he threw it. But she felt it as the glass splintered apart, embedding pieces of itself in her ankle. Unable to think past the pain, Addy's opened her eyes, trying to look for her attacker and get away.

Out of the blue, Addy's father kicked her, pushing the shards of glass even deeper. Addy cried out, tears starting to form in her eyes. With ragged breathing, she curled up into a ball, trying to block out the pain. She stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, until her father walked away, leaving her there.

Crying, Addy crawled over to the door, closing it. She then dragged herself over to the phone she had next to her bed, and started dialing. The phone rang, and kept ringing, and she had almost given up hope that someone would pick up the phone, when she heard a voice.

"Hello?" The voice was slurred, like the person was coming out of a deep sleep.

"Alec? Is that you?" Addy's voice came out soft and timid, like she was afraid it would be her father on the other end, not the boy who loved her.

"Addy? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Alec no longer sounded sleepy, he was awake and alert, concerned about her.

_Oh, Alec, help me. I need you. _"Alec, do you think I can sleep at your house tonight? I can't stay here anymore." _Please, don't say no. Please don't say no._

"Of course, Addy. Just pack some clothes and I'll over there as soon as I can. Should I pick you up in the front?"

"N-no, no. Do you think you can park down the street and climb through my window? It's on the left side of the house." Addy didn't want to think about what would happen if her father found Alec on his front porch.

"Sure, Addy. Go ahead and pack. I'll be there soon. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I will be, Alec, I will be. Just get here."

"Alright. I'm coming right now. I love you, Addy."

"I love you, too, Alec. Bye." With a sigh, Addy hung up the phone. Looking around her room, she grabbed her backpack and stuffed her binder and some clothes in it. She found her shoes and pulled them on, not wanting to walk out of the house without them. Limping to the bathroom, Addy took her hairbrush, toothbrush, and toothpaste, and put them in a pillowcase, along with a pillow.

Sitting on her bed, she gingerly started to take the glass shards out of her ankle. It stung like crazy, but she knew better than to leave them in there. It would hurt even worse if the cuts got infected.

She heard on knock, and jumped in surprise and fear. Looking first at her door, then to her window, she was relieved to see Alec standing outside in the night. He was here, like he had promised.

"Addy, what's going on? Tell me. What happened to your ankle?" Alec looked worried and angry at the same time, something Addy hadn't thought possible.

"It's nothing, Alec. I'll tell you later. Just help me get out of here." Addy walked to her window and pushed out the screen. Handing Alec her backpack and pillow, she carefully climbed out the window, making sure not to make any noise or bump her ankle.

Safe on the ground, she looked at Alec to lead her to his car. When he started walking towards the street, she followed, but stopped when she felt pain radiating from her ankle.

"Alec, wait!" she called, trying to quiet, but loud enough that he would hear her. "I need your help."

Alec walked back to her, a troubled look on his face. "Addy, if we don't get out of here soon, someone's bound to wake up."

"I know, I know, Alec. But I can't really walk all that well." Addy let her voice grow quieter with each word, not wanting Alec to know she was hurt.

With a sigh that said he'd ask about it once she was safe, Alec knelt on the grass in front of her. "Here, put the backpack on. I'll give you a piggyback ride to the car."

Tentatively, Addy climbed onto his back. They quickly made their way to his car, Alec's feet silent on the black asphalt. Opening the passenger door, Alec slid Addy off his back and into the car. Almost running to the other side, he slipped behind the wheel, and the two drove off into the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Addy woke the next morning, confused and scared. She didn't remember anything about last night, and now she was in a room she didn't know. She got up quickly, ready for anything, but before she got anywhere, she felt pain lancing through her ankle.

Looking down, Addy saw the cuts on her ankle, and remembered everything. Her dad beating her, calling Alec, her prince coming and saving her. _That must be where I am right now. This must be Alec's room. _

Addy calmed down. She sat back down on what she assumed to be Alec's bed, and examined her ankle. It was a little swollen, but none of the cuts looked life threatening. There sure were a lot of them, but she would just make sure to clean them.

Looking around for a bathroom to clean up in, Addy's eyes found a clock instead. _7:40! I'm gonna be late for school! Where's my stuff? I need to get ready. _Limping around, Addy found her things and got dressed. She was just heading for the door when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Addy said, fear running through her body. She couldn't help but remember all the times her father had knocked on her door.

"Addy? Are you already awake?" Alec walked in to the room. "What are doing standing up? You shouldn't be walking on that ankle." He hurried to Addy's side, concern written all over his face.

Relieved to see it was Alec walking towards her, and no one else, Addy smiled at him. "I'm fine. I'll probably only limp a little, if anything."

"Limping? Why would you be limping? You're not going anywhere today," Alec stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? Of course I'm going somewhere. I have to go school if we're going to Home Coming." Addy was confused. Why didn't Alec want her to go anywhere?

"Go to Home Coming? That's why you're gonna limp around all day, probably injuring yourself even further, just so you can go to a dance? No! We're not going with you like this, and that's final." Alec started to lead Addy back to bed, but she stopped him.

"We're going to Home Coming, Alec. The dress I hid in your closet and the tux you rented prove that. I'm not going to let my dad win." With those words, Addy headed for the hallway, in search of the kitchen.

Alec followed her. "We are not going. You'll hurt yourself even worse. Who cares about a stupid dan- wait. What did you say? You won't let your dad win? What does that have to do with anything?"

With a sigh, Addy turned back to face Alec. Looking at the floor, she explained. "My dad said I wouldn't be able to go that _stupid dance_ with you tonight because I would be too busy healing. I just don't want him to be right."

Alec looked shocked. "You're telling me that he did this to you because he didn't want you to go to a dance?"

Miserable with the way the conversation was going, Addy just nodded. "Well, then I guess we'll just have to prove him wrong," Alec said.

"Really?" Addy looked at Alec, not sure if she had heard correctly.

"Really," Alec said. "You better go get ready for school."

Addy was overjoyed. "Thank you, Alec, thank you. You won't regret this." Addy kissed Alec on the cheek before hurrying off to get ready for school.

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That afternoon, Addy and Alec came home from school. It had been a long day for Addy, with everyone staring at her face, then looking at Alec. Finally fed up with it, she had gone to the bathroom to see what was wrong with her face, and had seen the bruise her father had given her when he had smacked her into the door. Shaking her head, she had gone back to class and ignored the looks for the rest of the day.

It was a relief to come home and have something to do. Addy went straight to the bathroom and started to get ready for the dance. "Alec?" Addy called. "Do you think your mother would mind if I used some of her eye shadow?"

"Go ahead, Addy," Alec replied. "She has so much makeup, I'm sure she won't notice if you use a little."

Smiling, Addy got to work. She found a light blue eye shadow that would go perfectly with her dress and mascara. Knowing Alec's mother probably didn't use the exact same foundation she did, Addy gave up on trying to cover the bruise on her cheek, and went searching for a lipstick to borrow for the evening.

She was trying on a light pink, when a thought entered her mind. "Alec? Where are your parents?"

"They work all day, Addy. They left before you woke up, and they'll probably be back around ten." Alec was bored, just sitting on the couch, waiting for her to finish getting ready.

_Well, at least I won't have to worry about them coming home to find a strange girl in their son's bedroom. _Addy found her dress in Alec's closet, and put it on. She was looking at herself in the mirror and trying to decide how to put her hair up, when Alec came in.

He walked over to her and put his arms around her waist. "You look beautiful, Addy. Leave your hair down. I like it like that."

Addy turned around in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. "It's lucky this dress is floor length," she murmured into his neck.

"Why? So no one can see your ankle?" Alec said.

"Well, there's that, but there's also the fact that all I have to wear are tennis shoes." Lifting up the hem of her dress, Addy showed her black Converse.

"I like it," Alec assured her. "It makes you different. Come on, we're going to be late to the dance."

Addy followed Alec to his car, and they drove to school. Alec paid for their tickets at the door, and they walked in. The whole gym was decorated with the theme "The Clock Struck Midnight." There was a huge clock on the wall, with its hand pointing to midnight and the number 12 everywhere on the walls.

Addy danced with Alec for hours, grateful that she was wearing Converse instead of high heels. She was getting tired when Alec leaned over and said, "Do you want to go outside? It's getting close to midnight and everyone knows Cinderella has to leave the ball."

Smiling at Alec's comparison, Addy nodded and the two went outside. They found a bench nearby and sat down. Addy leaned against Alec and sighed, content. Alec slipped an arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him.

For a while, they sat like that, until Alec broke the silence. "Addy, I love you. Stay with me forever? I promise I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

Addy turned to look at Alec, a troubled look on her face. "What would your parents say, Alec? I'm sure they wouldn't be too thrilled about having a troublesome teenage girl in the house."

"Don't worry. I'll talk them around. Please, Addy. I hate that I have to let you go at the end of the day. Stay with me."

Addy was quiet for a minute, thinking hard. Finally, she leaned over and kissed Alec. This kiss expressed everything she feeling. Scared, unsure, but most of all, safe. "I'll stay with you. After all, Cinderella has to stay with her Prince Charming."

Alec smiled. "I love you, Addy."

"I love you Prince Charming," Addy said, and snuggled closer to the boy she loved.

A/N: Well, that's it. The end of my story. Review and tell me how you like it.


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